Early Spring Journey

The sky, now gray, began to rain softly. The young master, frowning at the sky, told Qinglong, “We’ll head to the town ahead; you follow with the horse.” Qinglong responded with a grunt, and the young master let out a clear command before they ventured forward into the drizzle. Chuxia and the young master shared a horse, which felt quite awkward for her. The young master held the reins with one hand while his other arm encircled Chuxia’s waist. Despite carrying two people, the horse named Electric Light was still very swift, soon overtaking another horse ahead. “Young Master, would it be better if I switched with Lady Baisue?” Chuxia shouted over the noise of the wind and rain. The young master seemed not to hear, instead leaning close to her ear and whispering softly, “Don’t move.” His warm breath brushed her ear, and without realizing it, he wrapped her in his cloak, holding her even tighter. Chuxia suddenly felt the warmth of his embrace, perhaps even warmer than the most expensive fox fur… After a while, she said softly, “Young Master, I can’t breathe…” This time, her voice was so light, yet the young master heard it, loosening his grip slightly, his thin lips brushing past her cheek, causing Chuxia to stiffen, and she indeed stopped moving.